4 Growing Success

CHAPTER 4 Growing Success The Rolling Stones were a huge hit in Britain. In May 1964, their album was released in the United States under the name England's Newest Hitmakers. The very next month they would begin their first US tour.

The Stones were excited to come to America. But not all Americans were excited to see them. American audiences expected the Stones to be like the Beatles, who had recently toured the United States. When the Beatles played their American shows, they stood still and smiled onstage, played their instruments, and sang songs like "I Want to Hold Your Hand." But the Stones were very different from the Beatles. They didn't dress alike for their performances. Mick wiggled and danced around the stage. Adults thought the band seemed tough and scary. Some people even made fun of them. One journalist wrote, "The Beatles want to hold your hand, but the Stones want to burn down your town."

The British Invasion The Beatles came to America to perform for the first time in February 1964. Their instant fame opened the way for other British bands to find success in the United States throughout the 1960s. The Rolling Stones arrived in the United States in June. Then the Who, the Kinks, the Animals, Herman's Hermits, and many other bands followed. The songs of the British bands knocked American songs off the music charts. This rock-and-roll takeover became known as the British Invasion.

For most of their fifteen-day tour, the band played to very small audiences. They were hoping to "make it big" in America. But the United States was much larger than England. It had more radio stations and more people to buy records. Becoming famous in America would take more time. The tour was certainly helping. They just had to be patient. Back home in England, the Stones didn't have to worry about playing to small crowds. Their concerts were filled with screaming fans. Some of their shows had even become dangerous. When they arrived at theaters and clubs, fans mobbed their car and pounded on the windows. The band needed police to help them get from their car into the building. Even while they played, fans rushed onto the stage.

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The Rolling Stones returned to America for another tour in October. By this time, only four short months later, even more people had heard of the Stones. Besides playing in concerts, they also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Millions of Americans tuned in to watch. But the next day, angry parents called and sent telegrams to the television station. They called the performance trash. They thought the band looked like slobs. Ed Sullivan apologized and said that he would never have the Stones back on his show again. While in the States, the Stones had plans to appear in a concert called T.A.M.I. (Teen Age Music International) in California. They were going to perform with some very famous musicians, including Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye,